My name is Jack, and I am cannon fodder. Yeah, off to a good start already, huh. But that's just the way it is. The Union had discovered some alien world or something and decided they wanted it. So while they sent the heavy artillery over it was the job of myself and the many other conscripts to bolster the numbers of the actual military in order to hold out against the native population. Oddly enough, despite not having guns or planes or missiles they had been successful in holding back our forces. Something about hight tech shielding technology or something. Honestly I didn't even know what they looked like, let alone what they were using to end our lives. All I knew was there had been surprisingly few casualties on both sides apparently. So maybe I could get back to my old life rather than wind up dead. I still remember the day of my "recruitment." It was an average day for nineteen year old me. I was just getting ready for my job when I heard a knock at the door. I opened it to find a uniform wearing recruitment officer telling me my number had been drawn and then he had two goons frog march me into a van and drive towards the ship that would carry me to my doom. Now, it was only minutes away from reaching this new world and its "oh so important" resources.
The ramp lowered with a sci-fi-esc "whoosh." The massive line of conscripts started making our way towards the checkpoint where we would be given our uniform (to be worn over our regular clothes for ease of removal upon death.) our tent (also only temporarily ours.) and our weapons (they were pretty confident over half of us were going to die.) The line slowly sifted through the checkpoint until only I was left. I stepped inside just as the officer was preparing to leave. He looked at me and then at his assistant.
"Huh, guess they miscounted again. We don't have a uniform for him or a firearm."
Was this it! An answer to prayers! Would I be sent home without--
"Just make him a scout, we could use one of those."
I deflated, obviously I had gotten the short end of the stick. The assistant handed me an armband bearing the Union's insignia, a backpack with my tent, canteen, and other field gear, and finally a sidearm. He turned to adress me,
"As a scout you will be less encumbered than a regular soldier. Your mission is to find the enemy before we arrive at our destinations and run back in order to tell us."
So not only was I canon fodder, but I was also being sent out alone for no real reason. Nice. I gave a halfhearted salute before walking out the door of the tent and into the camp beyond. I reached my plot of land and began setting up my tent, unsure how long I was actually going to be using it. Finally, as lights out was called I thought of my parents, unsure how they were dealing with my sudden disappearance.
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I blearily marched along with the rest of my unit as we went out on our first patrol ever. Nobody really knew what to do apart from the officers who were berating us at every opportunity. After a few minutes a halt was called and one of the officers stomped over to me.
"Scout 001 begin your recon!"
I saluted before jogging off diagonally away from the company. Honestly, if I was careful this might be a blessing in disguise. They weren't expecting me to do any actual fighting and I was a really good runner, my more slender form bearing witness to that. I might have sucked at anything involving brute strength but running, parkour, you name it, I was pretty dang good. I continued jogging for quite some time until I eventually stopped, not even breathing hard. I had had to skirt around some trees and rocky outcroppings but I was still making good time. I started drinking a bit of my water as I walked ahead, taking in the scenery.
Honestly, this place was beautiful compared to the concrete jungle that was Earth. But everything seemed... cartoony. The colors were too bright and everything had a surreal feel to it. I put away my canteen and decided to check the map they said was in my pack showing me what direction the camp lay and where the patrols were heading. I dug around and gradually grew frantic. Suddenly, realization dawned on me. I had no map. They must have forgotten it or something and now I had no idea where to go. I started panicking.
"Oh crap, this is bad this is bad this is BAD!"
I started looking around, trying to find some sort of landmark to find my way back with, but to no avail. I was stuck in the middle of hostile territory with only a canteen, a small lunch, a sidearm, and my headphones with music player. To put it lightly, I was screwed. I started jogging in a direction I thought might be the right one until I heard a rustle in the bushes to my left. I froze and slowly turned to face the menacing shrubbery. My hand went to the pistol at my side and I shakily began drawing it, uncertain how effective I was going to be given I had never shot a gun (kinda hard to when they're illegal to own for civilians.) I slowly started shuffling backwards when suddenly out of the bushes strode... a pony.
It wasn't just a pony, it was a unicorn given the little horn on its head. It was wearing gold armor and was actually kinda cute. It had big, bright eyes; a square-ish muzzle, and a blindingly white coat. I started lowering my weapon, relieved it wasn't anything dangerous. But, I was looking at a freaking UNICORN! I mean, WHAT! THEY WERE REAL! Would it grant my wishes if I asked or did I have to touch its horn. As I was looking it over, its horn flared with light that soon gathered into a ball at the tip. I blinked a few times, unsure of what I was seeing until the sphere of light shot towards me and the world went dark.
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I slowly regained awareness, unsure where I was. It felt like I was lying face down on a medical examination bed, shirtless. My head was proped up with some sort of cushioned ring that rested against my forehead and cheeks, kinda like a massage chair. I kept still, unsure of what happened. Suddenly, a door opened and I heard quick footsteps approach me.
"Alright doctor, here it is."
"Fascinating, I am quite curious about their anatomy and physiology seeing as how we've yet to capture a live one, until now."
They must have been referring to the unicorn. It was probably nearby.
"Alrighty then, now to get this over with."
Suddenly, something soft started carefully poking my back. It eventually began tracing my muscles with light, carefull strokes that were actually kind of relaxing, like a back message.
"You sure you shouldn't be wearing protective gear?"
"Nonsense, I'm perfectly fine."
The other dude must have been a germaphobe or something. I relaxed as this "doctor" lady started carefully rubbing one of my more sore muscles. Maybe I had had a seizure or something and now they were trying to make sure my muscles were okay.
"It has impressive musculature and an interesting skeletal structure. Although its muscles are surprisingly bunched up, I can't have conclusive results until I am certain."
Suddenly something warm settled onto my lower back as "doctor" began kneading my stiff muscles, obviously attempting to relax them. I managed to hold in a sigh of pleasure, my back had been killing me for ages. The other most likely doctor snorted a rather odd snort.
"I thought you were here to study the specimen, not message it."
Wait, was he talking about me? I thought the specimen was what they talking about, the weird unicorn thing. Unless, these doctors weren't humans. The pressure on my back lifted as something walked around me.
"Fine, fine. When is Princess Celestia going to be arriving to question it?"
Okay, definitely not who I thought these people were. They must be the natives. Suddenly, something poked me prompting me to roll off the table with a yelp. I came up in a crouch and saw... more ponies. Two of them to be precise. One was cream colored with a golden yellow mane, and the other was a white unicorn wearing purple and gold armor. Just then the door opened and inside strode a massive white winged unicorn with a rainbow mane that was flowing around like there was a wind I couldn't feel. This one was wearing a golden crown and some sort of chest plate.
"Hello Doctor... well then, it seems the prisoner is awake."
I froze. I was captured, by ponies. I was captured by a unicorn, who brought me to some pony doctor and his unicorn friend and this big white unicorn with wings who had a crown. Did that mean mankind was waging war... on ponies, or unicorns, or whatever? I couldn't believe it. It all seemed so illogical! Nothing made sense! Where was I! WHAT WAS GOING ON.
I hadn't realized I had been hyperventilating until the floor rushed up to meet me, accompanied by the sound of rushing footsteps, or more accurately, hoofsteps.